June 2018

Short Shots

olt Defense LLC, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of rifles and carbines for the military, law-enforcement and sporting markets, has acquired New Colt Holding Corp., the parent company of Colt’s Manufacturing Company LLC. Colt’s manufactures firearms for the civilian and sporting markets. For the first time since their separation in 2003, a single company will now develop, manufacture and sell firearms under the Colt name for all markets. More...

HiViz Shooting Systems has announced that it will move to Wyoming as the company fulfills its promise to leave Colorado due to recent changes in Colorado state gun-control legislation. Also, magazine maker Magpul has begun making its products outside Colorado in an as-yet-to-be-named state, and some companies associated with Magpul have also said they plan to leave the state immediately. HiViz Shooting Systems manufactures light-gathering sights, recoil pads and accessories for the shooting industry. HiViz President and CEO Phillip Howe said that the company will move to Laramie, Wyoming. More...

After nearly a decade since its initial introduction into the firearms marketplace, production on Arsenal’s SLR-106 series has officially ended. The SLR-106 rifle and pistol series was Arsenal’s answer to the 5.56 caliber as the company looked to compete in that arena. The major selling point of the line was its chrome-lined and hammer-forged barrel. The current stock of SLR-106 5.56 caliber rifles and pistols will continue to be sold until supply runs out. Arsenal’s availability list is displayed in the nearby photo. Additional SLR-106 products can be found by checking with Arsenal’s distributors and various dealers. More...

At the 2012 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Gun Tests staffers ran across dozens of new products that we’re working to include in future tests. There were too many to mention here, but we’ve selected a handful that really tripped our trigger, and might trip yours, too. You can visit our sister site www.GunReports.com to see videos of some of these guns at the range and in the company display booths. Some of the most intriguing developments overall came at old-line manufacturer O.F. Mossberg’s booth. Mossberg’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing Tom Taylor showed us the new Flex shotgun concept and a new gussied-up levergun, the 464 SPX. More...

The recently concluded National Rifle Association 142nd Annual Meetings & Exhibits, held at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston May 3-5, set attendance records that are likely to stand awhile. More than 86,000 Second Amendment supporters attended the NRA’s annual meeting in Houston last month, shattering the previous attendance record by almost 15,000, said NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam. More...

Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. has announced a new line of full-size duty pistols, new chamberings for its GP100 revolvers, new barrels for its 10/22 Takedowns, and new colors for its Lite rimfire pistols. Also, the company has added a Takedown rifle to its SR-556 line. The Ruger American Pistol will be available in 9mm Luger and .45 Auto. The two 9mms are Model Nos. 8605 (17+1) and 8607 (10+1) and the 45 is Model No. 8615, and all will list for $579 MSRP.
The Ruger American Pistol is built on a one-piece precision-machined stainless-steel chassis with integral frame rails and fire control housing. It has a black nitrided finish, Novak LoMount Carry three-dot sights, a stainless steel slide with non-reflective black-nitride finish, and a one-piece glass-filled nylon grip frame. The front accepts accessories on a mil-standard 1913 rail.
“The Ruger American Pistol is the most advanced semi-auto pistol we have ever produced,” noted Ruger CEO Mike Fifer.
The 9mm weighs in at 30 ounces with a 4.2-inch barrel and the .45 weighs in at 31.5 ounces with a 4.5-inch barrel. Both ship in a hard case with replaceable grip modules and two, nickel-Teflon plated steel magazines. Capacities are 17 rounds for 9mm and 10 rounds for .45 Auto. 10-round magazines are also available for the 9mm for those states which restrict round counts.
CEO Fifer said that Ruger polled law enforcement and military trainers throughout the country to determine the form, function, and features of this firearm. The new pistol combines a recoil-reducing barrel cam to spread recoil over time, a low-mass slide, low center of gravity and a low bore axis to provide better balance, less felt recoil and less muzzle flip. More...

The Desert Eagle .50 AE is a gas-operated, semi-automatic pistol with a 7-round capacity in .50 AE and 8-round capacity in .44 Magnum. Both guns are 10.75 inches long and have 6-inch barrels. Slide widths are 1.25 inches, heights are 6.25 inches, and weights with an empty magazine are just under 4.4 pounds in .50 AE and just over 4.4 pounds in .44 Mag. Both handguns include Weaver-style accessory rails for easy mounting of aftermarket optics and scope rings. More...

At the 2015 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Gun Tests staffers ran across tons of new products that we’re working to include in future tests. Following are some of the items we saw that intrigued us, for one reason or another. Some of the descriptions below are from SHOT Daily, a trade magazine published at the show for the dealers and distributors who attend.
CMMG The all-new CMMG MK47 Mutant rifle platform caught our attention. It’s chambered for 7.62x39mm, the upper and lower receivers are built from 7075-T6 billet aluminum and feature a uniquely designed upper and lower receiver engineered to manage the dimensions and pressures of the 7.62x39mm cartridge while keeping weight to a minimum.
The rifle, which runs on the proven carbine-length direct-impingement gas system and sports a 16.1-inch free-floated medium-taper barrel with a 1:10 twist rate, utilizes the heavier bolt carrier group derived from the AR10, but shortened. The lower receiver is designed to accept existing AK47 magazines and uses a standard hook-and-latch release system. A full-length Picatinny rail rides atop the receiver. All models ship with one Magpul PMAG 30-round 7.62x39 magazine. The MK47 Mutant T ($1,450) features an A2 muzzle compensator, a CMMG single-stage trigger, an A4 six-position collapsible buttstock, and an A2 pistol grip. The MK47 Mutant AKM ($1,650) features the same trigger, a CMMG SV muzzle brake, a Magpul CTR buttstock, and a MOE Pistol grip. The MK47 Mutant AKM2 ($1,850) comes with a Geissele SSA two-stage trigger, Magpul CTR buttstock, and MOE Pistol Grip. More...

Subscribers Only — Mission First Tactical, a USA-made rifle/carbine accessory maker, has released the $200 TEKKO Metal AR Free Float 13.5-inch KeyMod Rail System. This all-metal free-float rail system (TMARFF13KRS) allows secure mounting for KeyMod accessories such as MIL-STD 1913 Picatinny Rails, tactical accessories like vertical grips, bipods, lights, lasers and other rail mounted kits. The free-floating nature of the rail allows for less torque on the barrel, making it easier to shoot tighter groups. The rail is made out of Type 3 hard-coat-anodized aluminum. More...

Glock has released a new single-stack slimline 9mm pistol, the Glock 43. The frame width of the G43 is just over one inch, and the slide width measures 0.87 inch. The overall length is 6.26 inches. For those who have smaller hands, the trigger span from backstrap to trigger face is 2.6 inches. The single-stack magazine holds six rounds.
“The G43 addresses a variety of issues that many shooters face with pistols in the concealed carry category,” said Glock VP Josh Dorsey. “It will be the pistol of choice for law enforcement and civilians. The G43 sets a new standard for concealed carry pistols.” More...

Beretta’s APX, a new striker-fired full-size pistol in 9x19mm, 9x21mm IMI and 40 Smith & Wesson cartridges, debuted at the 2015 International Defence Exhibition & Conference IDEX expo in Abu Dhabi Feb. 22.
“IDEX is one of the first venues where defense contractors present their wares to worldwide military customers and Beretta felt this was the ideal environment to present the international offering of its APX pistol,” said Carlo Ferlito, general manager of Beretta and Beretta Defense Technologies (BDT) vice president.
Beretta intends to market a variant for the commercial market later this year. The new Beretta APX has an ergonomically-molded reinforced polymer frame fitted with a built-in MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rail, interchangable backstraps and grip panels, and a modified Browning locking system. The APX is 7.56 inches long with a 4.25-inch barrel.
The trigger can be considered a light double action, with a 6-pound break, 0.2 inch of travel, and a 0.12-inch reset. The rear portion of the striker slightly protrudes from a round slot on the back of the slide as a loaded-chamber indicator.
The slide is machined from stainless steel and has a nitride coating that reduces glare, scratches, and corrosion. Other features include wide front and rear slide serrations, three-dot sights dovetailed into the slide, and no manual safety save for a Glock-style trigger safety.
Ferlito said, “Beretta waited to enter the striker-fired market until we had a pistol we knew would meet the needs of the operator. The APX has been more than three years in development. We tested it extensively with professional end users and incorporated that feedback at every opportunity. The result is a pistol platform that delivers superior performance in durability, reliability, accuracy and ergonomics.”
A slot on the frame allows the use of a tool to decock it before it can be field-stripped by operating a lever found on the left side of the frame.
An optional manual safety system will be available upon request, consisting of a frame-mounted two-position switch. A reversible magazine-release catch and a factory ambidextrous slide stop/hold open release lever help make the pistol suitable for left- or right-handed shooters.
Supplied black double-stack metal magazines have polymer bottom pads and offer 17-round capacities in 9x19mm NATO and 15-round capacities in 9x21mm IMI (9 Italian) and 40 Smith & Wesson. More...

IWI US, Inc. has introduced a new UZI PRO Pistol to the American consumer market. The UZI PRO SB UPP9SB is notable for its side-folding stabilizing brace.
Two versions of the UZI PRO Pistol will be available in the U.S. The UZI PRO SB UPP9SB has a MSRP of $1,309. It has a side-folding stabilizing brace produced by SB Tactical LLC, designers and manufacturers of the original SB15 and SB47 Pistol Stabilizing Braces. With the side-folding brace, the UZI PRO SB pistol can be fired with or without the stabilizing brace extended.
The basic UZI PRO Pistol UPP9S has an MSRP of $1,109. Based on the UZI submachine gun, the UZI PRO is a 9mm Luger semi-auto with a polymer pistol grip. The cocking handle is located on the receiver side, allowing for a full-length Picatinny rail on the top receiver cover. A short Picatinny rail is also incorporated into the polymer body, mounted below the barrel.
The UZI PRO and UZI PRO SB feature three safety mechanisms; a conventional manual thumb safety, a firing-pin block and a grip safety that must be fully depressed before the gun can be cocked and fired.
Simple maintenance on the UZI PRO requires no special tools for field stripping. Each UZI PRO Pistol comes with one 20-round and one 25-round magazine.
IWI US, Inc. is the USA-based subsidiary of Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) Ltd. of Ramat Hasharon, Israel and a member of the SK Group, companies that operate in the global defense and law enforcement markets. The IWI US line of products includes several configurations of the TAVOR SAR, Jericho 941 pistol, UZI pistol and Galil ACE rifles and pistols. More...

The new Taurus Curve handgun is a body-contoured .380 ACP that employs a curved grip frame. About the size of today’s smart phones, this little USA-manufactured double-action-only semi-auto pistol packs 6+1 rounds in a 5.18-inch-long package. This curved polymer frame has a carbon-steel slide and a stainless-steel barrel. “We challenged our engineers to develop a handgun that was comfortable to wear. We wanted it to be as comfortable as wearing a watch every day,” said Sarah Perry, director of marketing for Taurus. “We wanted a concealed carry firearm that was designed for wearing against the contours of your body.” MSRP is $392. Other features include a loaded-chamber indicator, a built-in locking system, a trigger protector, a built-in lanyard, and a belt clip for wearing the pistol without a holster. Also included is an integrated LaserLyte LED light/laser combo system built within the frame and a bore-axis sighting system designed for instinctive point shooting at close distances. This subcompact handgun does not include traditional sights. More...

Sturm, Ruger & Co. has been busy in the middle of 2014, introducing an inexpensive AR, a new 10-22, a new 9mm LCR, and a Scout Rifle in 5.56 NATO. The new AR-556 semi-automatic M4-style, direct impingement Modern Sporting Rifle, $749 MSRP, is the company’s first model with all major components machined at Ruger’s Mayodan, NC facility. More...

Suppressor manufacturer SilencerCo has released what is says is the first commercially-viable shotgun silencer. The new product, named the Salvo 12, is a modular design that allows the shooter to add or remove sections to balance length, weight, and sound-suppression needs. It arrives as a 12-inch suppressor, but can be reduced to 10-, 8-, and 6-inch configurations as needed. More...

Editorial

Did you know that a retired associate justice of the United States Supreme Court had penned a New York Times op-ed entitled, John Paul Stevens: Repeal the Second Amendment? In his op-ed, Stevens (nominated by a Republican president) praises the work of the March for Our Lives organizers and urges the group to seek more effective and more lasting reform via a repeal of the Second Amendment. He calls the Second Amendment a relic of the 18th century. Read More

Resources

Gun Tests reporters and editors on the scene at SHOT Show 2018 in Las Vegas scoured the show for new pistol and handgun accessory entries for our readers to consider this year. Amazingly, a handgun made of steel with a design more than 100 years old  the fabled 1911  still drives the market. A third of the new guns that follow are based on this legendary platform, followed closely by pocket pistols, and its clear the revolver is not the antiquated firearm many assume. In fact, when it comes to handguns, 2018 is a good mix of old, new, plastic, and steel, with a wheelgun or two thrown in for good measure, along with loads for defensive handgun use to feed these new beasts. Heres a rundown on a few new handgun and ammunition choices for 2018 that our staff thought were notable and which well be looking to include in future issues. Read More

Firing Line

Reader Mike says hes the guy who gets all the duds when he buys ammo. We should thank him for his great public service. Also, Reader Bill thinks the M1 should have won a recent test. Read More

Firearms Prices

Gun Tests has been independently reviewing firearms since 1989. This website contains many older reviews. Unless otherwise noted, these reviews carry the guns' prices at the time of the original review